Arts Space: All DayThere's no question that the Schools we Deserve integrate the arts! The Arts Space features:

Starting at 8am, Community Chalking with community artist Laura Evonne Steinman

Student Voice Photobooth: Brought to us by BSAC/Youth on Board,
an interactive
photo campaign that asks students, educators and parents one essential question: Why does student voice matter?

T-shirt silkscreening with local artist Taina Vargas: bring your own t-shirt to silkscreen the conference logo, or purchase one already made at the conference

An interactive arts space available all day for you to engage with others and let your creative juices flow as you reflect on our theme: “Educate to Liberate: Creating the schools we deserve”

The Arts Space will culminate in an Interactive Art Process which will carry us into our afternoon Visioning Session!

Conference Aims

Facilitate dialogue, share resources, and build strategy among those interested in learning and teaching about education for liberation

Develop youth leadership and youth voice in education

Build a movement for liberatory education that combines the visions of youth, communities, families, and teachers

Check out our video from last year!

Announcing This Year's Speakers!

Saturday Keynote Speaker

Helen Gym is a co-founder of the Parents United for Public Education in Philadelphia, a citywide parent group focused on school budgets and funding to improve achievement and accountability in the public schools. She is former editor of the Philadelphia newspaper Public School Notebook and an associate editor with the national magazine Rethinking Schools. She is a board member at the community group Asian Americans United.

Friday Night Panelists

Zakiyah Ansari is a New York City parent fighting to get the city to provide more resources for neighborhood schools instead of shutting them down. She is a leader in the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, the Alliance for Quality Education, and New Yorkers for Great Public Schools.

Bianca Martinez is Vice President of the Boston Student Advisory Council, a citywide body of elected student leaders representing most BPS high schools. She is a senior at Greater Egleston Community High School in Roxbury. BSAC students have led organizing efforts, informed students of their rights and responsibilities, and advised school leaders on policies about punctuality, homework, teacher evaluation and hiring, and other matters.

Conrado Santos is Campaign Coordinator of the Student Immigrant Movement. He immigrated to the US from Brazil with his family at the age of 13. He has been a part of the Student Immigrant Movement for six years, and has worked with hundreds of students in pursuit of the DREAM Act and other policies.

Jessica Tang is a 6th grade social studies teacher at the Young Achievers Math and Science Pilot School in Mattapan and has taught in Boston Public Schools for the last eight years. In 2011 she was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Boston Teachers Union and spearheaded the creation of the union's first Community Advisory Board. She is a founding member of the Teacher Activist Group-Boston and a former co-chair of the Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association.

Irma Flores is a parent organizer in Everett in collaboration with La Comunidad Inc, and Mass Jobs with Justice. She has been a parent organizer with East Boston Ecumenical Community Council. Currently a paraprofessional in the Somerville public schools, Irma's children attended Everett Public Schools and Chelsea Public Schools.

Keith Catone is a Principal Associate for Community Organizing and Engagement at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. He is a co-founder of the New York Coalition of Radical Educators (NYCORE) and serves on the board of the National Education for Liberation Network.